Hebrews 5

 

February 3, 2008

 

Hebrews 5:1-14 says:

1Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. 3This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.

 4No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was. 5So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,
   "You are my Son;
      today I have become your Father.[a]"[b] 6And he says in another place,
   "You are a priest forever,
      in the order of Melchizedek."[c]

 7During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Warning Against Falling Away

 11We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 12In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

 

·        Hebrews 5:1-10 outlines the correspondence between the Old Testament high priest and Christ.

 

·        Verse 1 tells how every high priest is selected and appointed to high priesthood by God.

 

·        The high priestly office has four specific qualifications:

 

·        A high priest must:

 

1)     Be human, selected from among men.

 

2)     Be God appointed.

 

3)     Have a ministry in which he represents other human beings before God.

 

4)     Offer sacrifices that deal with sin.

 

Observations from Hebrews 5:

 

1) A high priest is gentle and patient with others who are ignorant – Jesus is the ultimate high priest. Vs. 1-6

 

·        Verse 4 points out that no Aaronic priest takes this honor upon himself but is called by God.

 

·        The Greek word translated “selected” in verse 1 is the same word translated “takes” in verse 4.

 

·        V. 4 – NOONE TAKES THIS HONOR UPON HIMSELF – In Christ’s day the high priestly office was in the hands of a family that had bought control of it.

 

·        Verses 5 through 10 are framed by the appointment of Christ as high priest.

 

·        Christ did not take the high priesthood upon himself but was called through the words of Psalm 110:4 quoted in Hebrews 5:6.

 

·        JUST LIKE JESUS, THE CHRISTIAN IS ALSO CHOSEN TO BE A “HIGH PRIEST”.

 

John 15:13-27 says:

13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17This is my command: Love each other.

The World Hates the Disciples

 18"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.'[a] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. 23He who hates me hates my Father as well. 24If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.'[b]

 26"When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. 27And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

·        Followers of Jesus Christ have been ordained by God to be high priest in that they intercede and make petitions for those who are falling away from God – If you are a Christian, then you are a high priest today.

TWO HIGH PRIESTHOODS COMPARED – Hebrews 5:1-10

 

THE HIGH PRIESTHOOD OF AARON

Hebrews 5:1 says: 1Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.

THE HIGH PRIESTHOOD OF THE SON

Hebrews 5:10 says: 10and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

THEIR HIGH PRIESTLY MINISTRIES

 

Aaron – Hebrews 5:2 says:

2He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness.

JESUS – Hebrews 5:9 says:

9and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him

THEIR HUMANITY

 

Aaron – 2b

 

Hebrews 5:2b says:

2He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness.

Jesus  - 5:8

Hebrews 5:8 says:

8Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered

THEIR SACRIFICES

 

Aaron – 5:3

Hebrews 5:3 says: 3This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.

Jesus – 5:7

 

Hebrews 5:7 says:

7During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

 THEIR HIGH PRIESTLY CALL

 

Aaron – 5:4

Hebrews 5:4 says: No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was.

Jesus – 5:5-6 says:

5So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,
   "You are my Son;
      today I have become your Father.[a]"[b] 6And he says in another place,
   "You are a priest forever,
      in the order of Melchizedek."[c]

·        In V. 7 – Christ’s sacrifice is described as prayers and petitions, words often paired in first century Judaism.

 

·        V. 7 The reference here is to Christ’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.

 

·        Jesus did not shrink from physical suffering and death but from the indescribable agony of taking mankind’s sin on himself.

3. Jesus did not avoid suffering and nor should the Christ follower. V. 7

4. CHRIST OFFERED UP PRAYERS AND PETITIONS WHILE ON EARTH AND HE STILL DOES TODAY FOR BELIEVERS – JESUS PRAYS AND INTERCEDES FOR YOU!

 

5.  Just like Jesus Christians are also to offer up prayers and petitions for themselves and other believers. V. 7

 

·        Although Christ was and is by nature the eternal son, He became a human being and learned obedience. V. 8

 

·        It is no accident that Hebrews avoids saying that Christ is subject to weakness because weakness includes sinfulness. V. 2

 

·        Christ’s humanity was characterized by the fact that he learned obedience.

 

·        This phrase does not mean that He was once disobedient and then learned to be obedient. By becoming a human being, he learned what it was like to be obedient.

 

·        He learned obedience by practicing faithful obedience to God in every situation of his life.

 

·        The old high priest ministry was limited to putting up with sin because of sinfulness; Christ’s ministry brings eternal salvation because of his accomplished obedience.

 

6) Just like Jesus, the Christ follower must also learn to walk in obedience. V. 8

 

7) While there is one way to God through Jesus who is the only source for salvation there are many ways to Jesus. Vs. 9-10

 

8) THE MORE OBEDIENT A PERSON IS TO THE SCRIPTURES, THE MORE THEY UNDERSTAND THEM - THERE IS A CORRELATION BETWEEN OBEDIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING! V. 11

 

V. 11 – “WE HAVE MUCH TO STAY ABOUT THIS, BUT IT IS HARD TO EXPLAIN BECAUSE YOU ARE SLOW TO LEARN”.

·        THE BEST METHOD FOR BIBLE STUDY IS OBEDIENCE – AS YOU APPLY WHAT YOU DO KNOW, WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW WILL BE UNCOVERED AND REVEALED TO YOU BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. V. 11

 

·        Faithful obedience enables God’s people to comprehend more clearly God’s work in Christ that cleanses sin and brings access to the Father’s presence.

 

·        In turn, this deeper comprehension is a source of power for faithful obedience.

 

·        The writer of Hebrews wants to explain the deeper things of Christ so that his hearers can be empowered for trust and obedience.

 

·        He is concerned, however, that their present level of trust and obedience might prevent them from grasping the depths of Christ’s high priesthood.